diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.c
index 87716529cd2f..d8d9f1179c2b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.c
@@ -192,11 +192,15 @@ static void cacheline_release(struct intel_timeline_cacheline *cl)
 
 static void cacheline_free(struct intel_timeline_cacheline *cl)
 {
+	if (!i915_active_acquire_if_busy(&cl->active)) {
+		__idle_cacheline_free(cl);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	GEM_BUG_ON(ptr_test_bit(cl->vaddr, CACHELINE_FREE));
 	cl->vaddr = ptr_set_bit(cl->vaddr, CACHELINE_FREE);
 
-	if (i915_active_is_idle(&cl->active))
-		__idle_cacheline_free(cl);
+	i915_active_release(&cl->active);
 }
 
 int intel_timeline_init(struct intel_timeline *timeline,